shipstamps.co.uk

From time to time a set of stamps is issued by one country or another that shows ships as they were at the dawn of history as we know it. Sometimes the stamps may be a little disappointing as accurate repre¬sentations of the ships they represent. Artistic licence creeps in to distort the vessel, making her look larger and more imposing. Many of these ancient ships are only found on contemporary stone carvings, not the easiest method to give accurate recording, but certainly the only one to last for centuries in time. Contemporary models from Egyptian tombs have given a good basis on which to judge the stone carvings. What I do abhor however is stamp designers taking the liberty of adapting parts of one ship for another vessel altogether.This has been done, and often, on stamp designs as you will see.
Two sets of ancient ships were issued by Bulgaria and Equatorial Guinea in the 1970’s. The first stamp illustrated, a 13s stamp, issued in 1975 by Bulgaria, depicts a "Viking Longship", It is nothing of the kind, but rather it is a dressed-up mix-up of William the Conqueror's ship Mora from the Bayeux Tapestry. True, the stamp designer has given the vessel a different crew, a different coat of paint, and worst crime of all altered the colour of the St. George's Cross on the masthead to black. But can you tell me of any Viking ship type that carried a cross on a shield on her mast? Actually the wooden cross was given to William by the Pope, the Cross of St. George. Another odd thing about this stamp is that the sail is in exactly the same position as the Bayeux Tapestry if you hold the stamp to the light and look at it from the back of the stamp. The crew of the vessel are exactly the same crew in the same vessel as depicted on the 40gr. stamp of Poland but this did not have the Cross of St. George on the mast.
Sea Breezes October 1977.
Bulgaria SG2439 Poland SG1374

Only one stamp has a maritime theme, the landing of Duke William at Pevensey, U.K.
The Norman invaders found an undefended sea, and an undefended coast when they reached England - the English army had marched to York to meet the Viking Invasion! William's army landed in Pevensey Bay, Sussex, at Bulverhithe, on the 29th of September 1066.
The old Norman chroniclers described the preparations of William on his landing with great vigour, they inform us how of Duke William's own ship was the first of the Norman fleet. It was called the MORA, and was the gift of his duchess Matilda. The figure head was a brazen child bearing an arrow with a drawn bow. His face was turned toward England, and he looked, as though he was about to release his arrow at England!
The ships beached, the sailors, the sergeants, and squires unloaded the ships; carried out shields and saddles, landed the war-horses and the palfreys.
Of the army, the archers came ashore first, each with his bow strung, and a quiver full of arrows at his side. All were shaven and shorn; and dressed in short garments, ready to attack, to shoot, to wheel about and skirmish. All stood well equipped and ready for the fight; and they scoured the whole shore, but found not a single armed man!
After the archers had gone ashore, the knights landed, fully armed wearing their hauberks (a long tunic made of chain mail#. Their shields were slung at their necks, and their helmets laced. They formed up on the shore, each armed and mounted on his war-horse; all had their swords girded on, and rode forward into the country with their lances raised.
Then the carpenters landed, with great axes in their hands, and planes and adzes hung at their sides. The carpenters were vital to William's battle plans - they were going to build pre-constructed castles that William had shipped over in the fleet.
When Duke William himself landed, as he stepped on the shore he slipped and fell forward upon his two hands. Many of his men raised a loud cry of distress. "An evil sign," they said, "is here." But he cried out lustily: "See, my lords, by the splendor of God, I have taken possession of England with both my hands. It is now mine, and what is mine is yours."#Duke William's customary oath). This quick thinking and the ability to turn a negative event into a positive one was a major quality that Duke William possessed.

http://www.normaninvasion.info/william- ... ngland.htm
Alderney 2016 43p sgMS?, scott?
France 1994 2.80 Fr. sg3191/92, scott 2412/13.

More info and stamps are given on: http://www.shipsonstamps.org/Topics/html/mora.htm

Mora

Qatar 1967, S.G.?, Scott: 126.

Mora

Netherlands Antilles 2003, S.g.?, Scott: 1013j.